United Group Insurance

Villisca man & a man from Grant arrested on drug charges

News

November 19th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Two Montgomery County men were arrested Tuesday, on drug charges. The Sheriff’s Department says 51-year old Scott Timothy Brown, of Grant, was arrested at around 9:20-p.m., when deputies followed-up on an incident at 108 Adams Street, in Grant. Brown was subsequently taken into custody for Possession of Stolen Property, Possession of Marijuana, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $1,000 cash bond.

And, at around 6:30-p.m. Tuesday, deputies in Montgomery County arrested 36-year old Damyn Carl Stacy, of Villisca, following a traffic stop at the intersection of Highway 34 and Eastern Avenue, in Red Oak. Stacy faces a Possession of Drug Paraphernalia charge. He was booked into the Montgomery County Jail and later released on a citation.

Red Oak man arrested on drug and other charges

News

November 19th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

A Red Oak man arrested Tuesday evening by Red Oak Police acting on an active warrant, faces additional charges. 24-year old Eric Alan Vannausdale, who is no stranger to local police, was taken into custody at 4:30-p.m. on a warrant for Operating a Vehicle without the Owner’s Consent.

While being placed under arrest, officers located marijuana and drug paraphernalia in Vannausdale’s possession. The man was subsequently charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He was transported to Montgomery County Corrections and held on a total of $3,000 cash bond.

Strong winds expected this morning

Weather

November 19th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

AREA COUNTIES: SAC-CRAWFORD-CARROLL-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-CASS-
434 AM CST WED NOV 19 2014

…A BRIEF PERIOD OF STRONG WINDS EARLY THIS MORNING…

A COLD FRONT IS PUSHING SOUTHEAST ACROSS IOWA EARLY THIS MORNING. RIGHT BEHIND THE FRONT…A STRONG PUSH OF COOLER AIR IS CAUSING WINDS TO INCREASE TO 20 TO 30 MPH AT TIMES WITH GUSTS BRIEFLY TO 40 MPH. THIS MAY CAUSE SOME MINOR BLOWING SNOW NORTH OF HIGHWAY 20 EARLY TODAY. THE STRONGER WINDS WILL LAST FOR A FEW HOURS BEFORE REMAINING NEAR 15 TO 20 MPH FOR MOST OF THE AFTERNOON HOURS WITH GUSTS TO NEAR 35 MPH AT TIMES.

HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE SOME BRIEF DIFFICULTY DRIVING EARLY TODAY ACROSS AREA HIGHWAYS. PATCHY BLOWING SNOW NORTHWEST MAY BRIEFLY COAT ROADS WITH SNOW…AND CAUSE A FEW SLIPPERY STRETCHES. DRIVE CAREFULLY AND ALLOW EXTRA TIME TO REACH YOUR DESTINATION SAFELY.

Iowa pharmacy board may weigh in on marijuana laws

News

November 19th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Board of Pharmacy will consider again recommending changing state law to reclassify marijuana so it could be used to treat medical conditions. The board is set to meet Wednesday. Members heard testimony on the issue Monday.

Currently, marijuana is classified under state law as both a Schedule I drug, meaning it is has no medical use, and as a Schedule II drug, which has medicinal value. Advocates want the drug to be moved only to the Schedule II category.

The board recommended that the Legislature make such a change to state law in 2010, but no action was taken. Lawmakers this year approved legislation that allows the use of oil derived from marijuana to treat chronic epilepsy.

Opening arguments today in State vs. Robert A. Reynolds

News

November 19th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

A longer-than-usual jury selection process Tuesday, forced opening statements in the trial of an Oakland man charged with the murder of a rural Cass County woman, to be pushed back to today (Wednesday). The Daily NonPareil reports a little more than 100 potential jurors from east Pottawattamie County arrived for jury selection Tuesday, initially filling out a questionnaire.

The Pottawattamie County Attorney’s Office estimated more than half knew about the case against 63-year old Robert A. Reynolds, which led to one-on-one interviews between the potential jurors and attorneys for the defense and prosecution as the two sides worked to pare down the list to a panel of 12 jurors and two alternates. Reynolds is charged with first-degree murder for his alleged role in the shooting death of 64-year-old Patricia Kinkade-Dorsey on April 8th at Reynolds’ home in Oakland.

By late Tuesday evening, the attorneys had selected a jury, and the trial is set to begin at 9:30 a.m. today at the Pottawattamie County Courthouse. Reynolds has pleaded not guilty.

KJAN listening area forecast: Wed., 11/19/14

Weather

November 19th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

330 AM CST WED NOV 19 2014

EARLY THIS MORNING…MOSTLY CLOUDY. BREEZY. NOT AS COLD. SCATTERED FLURRIES. NORTHWEST WIND 15 TO 20 MPH.

TODAY…PARTLY SUNNY. BREEZY. SCATTERED FLURRIES THROUGH MID MORNING. HIGH IN THE UPPER 20S. NORTHWEST WIND 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 30 MPH.

TONIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. COLDER. LOW AROUND 10. WEST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

THURSDAY...MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE UPPER 20S. NORTHWEST WINDAROUND 5 MPH.

THURSDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOW AROUND 15. SOUTHEAST WIND NEAR 5 MPH.

FRIDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. HIGH IN THE MID 30S. SOUTHEAST WIND 5 TO 15 MPH.

FRIDAY NIGHT…CLOUDY. NOT AS COLD. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF FREEZING DRIZZLE. LOW AROUND 30.

SATURDAY…CLOUDY. HIGH IN THE LOWER 40S.

Tackling dummy fire prompts brief school evacuation

News

November 19th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

A small fire briefly disrupted activities Tuesday afternoon at Abraham Lincoln High School. The Daily NonPareil reports at around 12:15 p.m., an person or persons unknown set fire to a football tackling dummy on a balcony in the school fieldhouse. Council Bluffs Fire Marshal Larry Wohlers told the paper  smoke and flames from the fire activated a sprinkler head about 20 feet above the fire, which distributed water to extinguish the blaze. Wohlers said the fire would have reached a temperature of about 150 degrees to activate the sprinkler.

Firefighters arrived shortly after the activation, advised the school to turn off the sprinkler and began assisting with smoke ventilation. Officials with the school district said the fire occurred on the balcony on the “Home” side of the fieldhouse. Most of the damage caused by the fire affected the tackling dummy. There was also water damage on the balcony and in the music wing at the school, according to the district.

All students at the school were evacuated for about 10 minutes as the fire department handled the incident.Wohlers said the fire was intentionally set, and an arrest in the case is likely.

Iowa early News Headlines: Wed. Nov. 19th 2014

News

November 19th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

FAIRFIELD, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say they’re investigating the deaths of two people found in a motel room in southeast Iowa. Fairfield police say 20-year-old Alexandra Higdon and 24-year-old Casey Griffin were found unconscious Sunday morning at a Super 8 motel room. Autopsies are pending. Fairfield police are seeking help from the public in gathering information about the deaths.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Activists are asking the U.S. Department of Labor to investigate allegations that workers at an Iowa City factory have been illegally denied wages. The Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa filed the complaint against RockTenn, a Georgia-based corporation that operates a packing facility in Iowa City. Two staffing companies that recruit temporary workers for RockTenn are also named.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A memo from the Iowa Board of Regents says freezing tuition rates for all students next year would cost $14.5 million in lost revenue for the state’s three public universities. The Iowa Board of Regents is scheduled to set tuition rates Dec. 3. Key members have indicated they would like to freeze tuition for a third straight year for resident undergraduate students.

WAPELLO, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say eight students have transported to a Muscatine hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after a school bus crash in southeast Iowa. The Louisa County Sheriff’s Office says the driver lost control of the vehicle and it rolled over. State and county officials are investigating.

Hunters on pace to kill roughly same amount of deer in Iowa as last season

Ag/Outdoor, News, Sports

November 19th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Last year, hunters in Iowa killed fewer than 100,000 deer for the first time since the mid-1990s. Jim Coffey, forest wildlife research technician for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says it’s possible hunters will harvest a similar number of deer this season. “We’re right on pace for where we were at this time last year with almost 24,000 deer being harvested so far,” Coffey says. Only bow hunting of deer is allowed right now in Iowa and the bow hunting season is about halfway complete.

The reported number of bucks taken this season has increased by 1,000 compared to last year, while the reported doe harvest is down 1,000. “That’s not too uncommon because of the way we’ve changed regulations this year, plus a lot of our bow hunters are out there seeking that buck,” Coffey says. The number of deer killed by hunters in Iowa has declined for eight consecutive years. But, Coffey says hunters are still getting plenty of chances to fire their weapons.

“We’ve been hearing good reports from our hunters. The deer have been active. The cold spell starting Sunday kind of slowed things down…but with the warm spell coming up this weekend and the rut going on, it’ll be a good weekend to be out,” Coffey says. Iowa’s first shotgun deer hunting season begins on December 6, with the second shotgun season starting December 13. Most hunters are hoping to spot a big buck, but probably won’t see anything like the one shot just southeast of Des Moines back in October.

“Probably the biggest buck that’s been talked about was the one in Marion County. That was shot fairly early in the season and has been creating quite a stir on the Internet,” Coffey said. That buck was shot with a muzzleloader by Joe Franz on his property. The website trophy pursuit dot com ( http://www.trophypursuit.com ) posted video of Franz’s hunt and claims the buck could be “the largest ever taken on professional video.”  You can view the video on the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=mg7Z4juaGo8

DePaul beats Drake 80-62, goes to 2-0

Sports

November 19th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

CHICAGO (AP) — Billy Garrett Jr. scored 15 points to lead five DePaul players in double figures and the Blue Demons beat Drake 80-62 on Tuesday night. Myke Henry added 13 points, Jamee Crockett 12, Forrest Robinson 11 and Durrell McDonald 10 for DePaul, off to its first 2-0 start since 2011-12. The Blue Demons had a good night shooting, making 27 of 49 field-goal attempts (55.1 percent), 9 of 20 3-point tries (45 percent) and 17 of 21 from the free-throw line (81 percent). They outrebounded the Bulldogs 33-26.

The Bulldogs (0-2) were led by Chris Caird, who scored 19 points, and Jordan Daniels with 17. The Bulldogs were 23 of 54 from the floor for 42.6 percent. An 18-4 run in the first half gave DePaul a 21-8 lead. The Blue Demons led by 13 at halftime and the Bulldogs wouldn’t cut the deficit below double figures in the second half.